Cooling unit supporting structure



Oct. 30, 1951 K. G. BOREN COOLING UNIT SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 18, 1948 k HTTd/F/VEY Patented Oct. 30, 1951 COOLING UNIT SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Karl Gunnar Born, Stockholm, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Elektrolux, Stockholm, Sweden,

a corporation of Sweden Application November 18, 1948, Serial No. 60,811 In Sweden November 26, 1947 13 Claims. 62-89) This invention relates to refrigeration, and more particularly to refrigerator cabinet structures and cooling units arranged therein for producing a refrigerating effect.

In recent years cooling units have been provided in household refrigerator cabinets which occupy substantially the entire cross-sectional area of the storage space defined by the inner liner and are supported at the rear wall of the cabinet. Such cooling units of a horizontal type subdivide the storage space into a plurality of compartments one above the other, the upper compartment often being utilized as a freezing section of the refrigerator.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improvement for supporting cooling units of this type, particularly to provide a refrigerator which is exceptionally sturdy and in which the likelihood of injuring or damaging the cooling unit during transportation is substantially reduced and avoided.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, and of which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a refrigerator cabinet embodying the invention, the thermal breaker strip bridging the gap between the outer shell and inner liner at the front of the cabinet being omitted to illustrate details more clearly;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken at line 2-2 of Fig. i;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken at line 3-3 of Fig. '2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken at line 44 of Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the invention is embodied in a refrigerator cabinet in having an inner metal shell or liner I 6 arranged within an outer metal shell i2 and insulated therefrom with any suitable insulating material H. The

inner metal shell l2 forms a thermally insulated space l having an opening H5 at the front of the cabinet and to which access may be had by a door (not shown) hinged to the cabinet front.

The inner and outer shells H and i2 are provided with flanges l1 and I8, respectively, which extend toward each other and are disposed in different vertical planes parallel to the plane of the front access opening N5 of the cabinet In. It is to be understood, however, that the flanges I1 and I8 may be disposed in the same vertical plane at the front of the cabinet or arranged in any other manner, such as, for example, in a plane at an acute angle to that of the front opening I6.

The inner metal shell ll may be supported within outer shell [2 in any suitable manner. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a plurality of connectors or blocks l9, which may be formed of wood or other suitable material, are arranged about the opening of cabinet l0 and secured by screws 20 to the flanges l1 and I8, respectively. The screws 20 are arranged to be hidden from view by a trim or breaker strip (not shown) adapted to bridge the gap between the flanges I! and I8. Such trim strip is formed of material having poor heat conducting properties and may be secured in position in any suitable manner, as to the connectors IQ, for example.

Within the thermally insulated space is arranged a cooling unit or evaporator 2| of a refrigeration system. In order to arrange the cooling unit 2! in position, the rear insulated wall 22 of the space I5 is provided with an opening to receive 'a removable wall section 23, as shown in Fig. 3. The conduits (not shown) connecting the cooling unit 2| and other parts of the refrigeration system extend through the removable wall section 23. This manner of positioning a cooling unit in the thermally insulated interior of a household refrigerator cabinet is particu-' larly well suited for absorption refrigeration systems in which an auxiliary pressure equalizing gas is employed. In a system of this type a refrigerant fluid, such as ammonia, is introduced into the cooling unit and evaporates and diffuses therein into an inert gas, such as hydrogen, to produce a refrigerating effect. Such a cooling unit usually comprises piping providing an elongated path of flow for the refrigerant fluid and inert gas.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the cooling unit 2! comprises a housing which extends between the lateral sides 24 of the space I5 and from the rear wall 22 to a region closely adjacent to the vertical plane of the front opening E6 of the cabinet it. Hence, the cooling unit 2! essentially occupies the entire cross-sectional area of the space H and subdivides the latter into upper and lower compartments 25 and 26, respectively. The housing forming the cooling unit 2! and piping associated therewith are constructed in such manner that refrigeration of both compartments 25 and 26 is effected and the upper compartment forms a freezing section into which access may be gained by a closure member (not shown) hinged at the forward part of the cooling unit. Since the particular manner in which the cooling unit 2| is constructed is not necessary for an understanding of this invention, the cooling unit has been diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 in order to simplify the drawing.

In accordance with the invention the cooling unit 2|, which is supported at the rear insulated wall 22 and projects therefrom into the space 55. is also supported at the forward part thereof with the aid of the structure at the front of the cabinet employed to support the inner liner apnoea or shell il within the outer shell l2. As shown, a flat member 21 extends across-the froiit wall of the cooling unit 2| and is flxed thereto at 22 in any suitable manner, as by screws, for example. The inner shell II is formed with slots 2! through which the opposite ends of member 21 pass into regions of the lateral side walls 24 between the inner shell and outer shell.

The endsof the member 21 are secured by screws 30 to the center parts of brackets 3| which are generally U-shaped, as shown in Fig. 4, and provided with flanges 32 fixed to connectors or blocks "a and lib at the lateral side walls 24, as by screws 33, for example. The connectors or blocks lea and Nb constitute two of the connectors I! employed to support the inner shell ll within the outer shell i2. As seen in Fig. l, the connectors I90. and |9b are longer than the connectors ll employed at the top of the cabinet Ill. The brackets 3| are secured to the rear faces of the connectors l9a and |9b and the latter are formed with openings or recesses 34 to facilitate attachin the ends of member 21. to the brackets 3| by the screws 30 from the front of the cabinet It.

It will now be understood that an improved arrangement has been provided for effectively supporting at its forward part the flat-type cooling unit or evaporator 2| which otherwise is only supported in cantilever fashion at the rear ,wall oi-the cabinet. Since the upper compartment 25 constitutes the freezing section, the top'surface of the cooling unit 2|.is not only employed to support ice trays but also supports the dead weight load of frozen food packages and food and other matter to be frozen. When full advantage of the freezing section is taken, this dead weight load can become quite substantial because many items stored in the freezing section are relatively heavy. This is particularly true of meat items, for example.

By providing the member 21 at the forward part of the cooling unit 2| and securing the ends of such member to supporting structure provided about the door opening of the cabinet for the inner shell, the dead weight load on the cooling unit is effectively transmitted to such supporting structure and ultimately to the outer shell of the cabinet Hi. In this way the dead weight load on the cooling unit 2| is not added to the load on the inner liner ll resulting from food stuffs stored in the lower compartment, which would be the case if supporting strips were provided at the opposing lateral sides of the inner liner upon which the cooling unit 2| could rest. Such supporting strips are not entirely satisfactory for other reasons, and this is especially true when the inner wall surface of the inner liner is provided with an enamel coatingto which the strips necessarily must be fastened.

The supporting provisions provided at the forward part of the cooling unit 2| produce a refrigerator cabinet which is exceptionally sturdy and substantially reduces the likelihood of in- 1 juring or damaging the cooling unit during transportation which has been a troublesome problem. The member 21 may be formed of any suitable metal, such as steel or aluminum, for example, or a synthetic resinous or plastic material which have become popular in recent years for their decorative appeal. The thickness of the member 21 will depend, of course, upon the strength of the material from which it is made; and the width of the member 21 can be made equal to that of the forward part of the cooling unit.

The cross-sectional area of the member 21 will determine its ability to support a given dead weight load on the cooling unit. However, it may be desirable to employ a support 21 having limited thickness and great width or height so 7 described above, because this permits greater latitude in manufacturing tolerance of the component parts of household refrigerators.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the supporting member 21 may be arranged so that the cooling unit rests thereon. In such instance the member 21 desirably may be of such shape that it is of less height in'a vertical plane at the forward part of the cooling unit. Moreover, the slots or openings 29 in the opposing side walls of the inner liner may be omitted and the ends of the member 21 secured directly to the connectors or blocks Ilia and l9b. In such instance the ends of the member 21 are suitably shaped to enable them to be attached to the connectors |8a and |9b in the same manner as the flange H of the inner liner or shell H is secured thereto. In addition, the outwardly extending flange ll of the inner liner II, at the opposing sides there-- of, maybe formed with slots through which the ends of the member 21 are adapted to pass. In such arrangement the brackets to which the ends of the member 21 are secured may be flat rather than U-shaped, as seen in Fig. 4. Also, the member 21 may be employed to facilitate mounting hinges for a door or closure member to close off the freezing section from the rest of the insulated storage space.

In any event, it will be understood that the advantages of the invention can be realized in refrigerator cabinets whose inner liners or shells are supported within outer shells about the front of the cabinet in a manner which differs from that shown and described herein. While it is generally desirable to transmit the dead weight load from the cooling unit to regions at the front of the cabinet which are associated with the lateral side walls thereof, it may be advantageous in certain instances to provide a suspension arrangement to support the forward part of the cooling unit at the front of the cabinet. Therefore, it is contemplated in the following claims to cover all changes and modifications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising a cabinet comprising thermally insulated walls defining astorage space having an access opening at the forward part thereof, said thermally insulated walls including an outer shell and an inner shell, structure at the front of the cabinet between the forward parts of said shells for supporting said inner shell within said outer shell, refrigeration apparatus including a cooling unit in said space supported in cantilever fashion at the rear wall of said space and projecting therefrom to a region adjacent the vicinity of the access opening, said cooling unit being spaced from the top wall of said space and unconnected therewith, and a member associated with the forward part of said cooling unit and connected to said structure to provide additional support for said cooling unit.

2. A refrigerator comprising a cabinet including an outer shell, an inner shell arranged within said outer shell and insulated therefrom, said inner shell forming a storage space having an access opening at the forward part thereof, supporting means at the front of the cabinet between the forward parts of said shells for supporting said inner shell within said outer shell, refrigeration apparatus including a cooling unit in said space and having the rear end thereof supported by the rear wall of the cabinet, the front end of said cooling unit being disposed at the vicinity of the access opening, and structure fixed to said supporting means providing additional support for said cooling unit at the front end thereof, said structure being so constructed and arranged that the food load on said cooling unit is transmitted directly to said supporting means and is not carried directly by said inner shell;

3. A refrigerator comprising a cabinet including an outer shell, an inner shell arranged within said outer shell and insulated therefrom, said irmer shell forming a storage space having an access opening at the forward part thereof, supporting means at the front of the cabinet between the forward parts of said shells for supporting said inner shell within said outer shell, refrigeration apparatus including a cooling unit in said space and having the rear end thereof supported by the rear wall of the cabinet, said cooling unit providing a substantially flat top surface which is accessible at the access opening for supporting thereon ice trays and frozen food matter and the like, for example, the front end of said cooling unit being disposed at the vicinity of the access opening, and structure to provide additional support for said cooling unit comprising a member fixed to the front edge thereof and to said supporting means.

4. A refrigerator comprising a cabinet including an outer shell, an inner shell arranged within said outer shell and insulated therefrom, said inner shell forming a storage space having an access opening at the forward part thereof, supporting means at the front of the cabinet between the forward parts of said shells for supporting said inner shell within said outer shell, refrigeration apparatus including a cooling unit in said space and having the rear end thereof supported by the rear wall of the cabinet, the front end of said cooling unit being disposed at the vicinity of the access opening, and structure to provide additional support for said cooling unit comprising a member extending across the access opening which is arranged to support said cooling unit at the vicinity of the forward edge thereof, and means for securing the ends of said members to said supporting means.

5. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 4 in which said ilmer liner is formed with slots through which the opposite ends of said member are adapted to pass.

6. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 4 in which the opposite ends of said member are shaped to overlie and extend beyond the forward edge of said inner shell.

7. A refrigerator comprising thermally insulated walls defining a storage space having an access opening at the forward part thereof, said thermally insulated walls including an outer shell and an inner shen therein, supporting means at the front of the cabinet between the forward parts of said shell; for supporting said inner shell within said outer shell, the rear insulated wall having an opening, absorption refrigeration apparatus employing evaporation of refrigerant fluid in the presence of an inert gas which includes a cooling unit in said space adapted to be 5 inserted therein through the rear opening, a closure member for said opening, said cooling unit being supported at the rear wall at the region of said closure member and having the forward end thereof disposed adjacent the access opening, and structure secured to said supporting mean and cooperating with the front end of said cooling unit to provide additional support for the latter. 8. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 7 in which said structure providing additional support for said cooling unit at the front end thereof is flexible in character and capable of yielding to force in a horizontal plane to which it may be subjected.

9. A refrigerator comprising a cabinet including an outer shell, an inner shell arranged within said outer shell and insulated therefrom, said inner shell forming a storage space having an access opening at the forward part thereof, re-

frigeration apparatus including a cooling unit insaid space which is supported at the rear wall of the cabinet, the forward end of said cooling unit being disposed at the vicinity of the access opening, and structure connected to the forward part of said cooling unit and including portions carried by the front part of the cabinet between the forward parts of said inner and outer shells to provide additional support for said cooling unit.

10. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 9 in which said structure providing additional support for said cooling unit at the forward part thereof is flexible in character and. capable of yielding to force in a horizontal plane to which it may be subjected.

11. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 9 in which said structure is s constructed and arranged that dead weight load is transmitted from said cooling unit directly to said outer shell.

12. A refrigerator comprising a cabinet including an outer shell, an inner shell within said outer shell and insulated therefrom, said inner shell 45 having an access opening at the forward part thereof, refrigeration apparatus including a cooling unit which is supported in cantilever fashion at the rear wall of said space, the forward part of said cooling unit being disposed at a region of 50 said space adjacent to the access opening, members at the front of the cabinet between the forward parts of said outer and inner shells and bridging the latter, and structure associated with the forward part of said cooling unit and includ- 5 ing portions carried by said members to provide additional support for said cooling unit.

13JA refrigerator as set forth in claim 12 in which said structure includes a member extending across the access opening which is secured to the 60 front face of said cooling unit.

KARL GUNNAR BOREN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,399,963 II V 

